I agree with you on everything. However, on the strict point of "metadata" (which would mean IP, time, and little more, but anyway, data), and only guessing, s

I agree with you on everything. However, on the strict point of "metadata" (which would mean IP, time, and little more, but anyway, data), and only guessing, splitters would be useful, would they not? and at the same time make the "direct access" negation stand true, if I read correctly? I know you are fighting a different battle (that Snowden does not mean this and he is wrong, on which I tend to agree more or less) but this idea would also be useful for the Gov't and not that much of a deal to implement. Even more, come to think of it, this might be done at the Telcos level, might it not? EDIT: Just realized this would only give one end of the communication, so not THAT useful, I guess. I see. EDIT2: Well, with some analysis and some luck you might get the size of a mail, with care and timing and then with more statistics get an idea of who (IP) may have read it when (albeit just STATISTICALLY) but you may get lucky...